


Adagio: A Collection of Poems by Katara

by call_me_calli



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, AtLA, Avatar: The Last Airbender - Freeform, Drabble Collection, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Poems, Poetry, Zutara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2018-12-16 09:06:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11825505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_calli/pseuds/call_me_calli
Summary: When Zuko became part of the Gaang, all Katara could do was wait for the other shoe to drop. This was her way of processing the emotions that came with the addition of the firebender to their group. She didn't know how to express her feelings to him, so she wrote them down in the form of poems instead.*HUGELY inspired by a poem book called The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace*





	1. Glossary

#####  **Adagio** \- A tempo having slow movement, restful at ease

  
**Abstraction** \- The process of creating art that is not representational or based on external reality  
**Artifice** \- Deception or trickery  
**Automatism** \- The process of creating art without conscious thought  
**Camouflage** \- To hide or disguise the presence of something  
**Caricature** \- A rendering of a person with exaggerated or distorted features with satire  
**Coda** \- Closing section of a movement  
**Compression** \- The state of being pressed down under a weight or squeezed together  
**Der Blaue Reiter** \- German artist group wanting to express inner desires in a variety of forms  
**Dissonance** \- Harsh, discordant, and lack of harmony  
**Erasing** \- To rub out or remove  
**Exposition** \- The first section, written introductions  
**Exposure** \- Exposing a photographic film to light  
**Foreground** \- The area of an artwork that appears closest to the viewer  
**Framing** \- The method by which information is included or excluded from a piece of art  
**Gesture** \- A category of artistic practice having a particular form, content, or technique  
**Glissando** \- Sliding between two notes  
**Grotesque** \- Ludicrous, repulsive, ugly, outlandish, or bizarre, as in character or appearance  
**Hardboard** \- Stiff board made of compressed and treated wood pulp  
**Illusion** \- An unreal, deceptive, or misleading appearance or image  
**Improvisation** \- To make, compose, or perform on the spur of the moment with little or no preparation  
**Juxtaposition** \- Placing things close together or side by side for comparison or contrast  
**Melodrama** \- Exaggerated emotions, stereotypes, interpersonal conflicts  
**Monochrome** \- Having a single colour  
**Opaque** \- Not permitting the passage of light  
**Ostinato** \- A repeated phrase  
**Perspective** \- A technique used to depict volumes and spatial relationships on a flat surface  
**Rubato** \- Strict tempo is temporarily abandoned for a more emotional tone  
**Tension** \- The state of being stretched or strained  



	2. Poem 1

Dusk arrives, warm with a soft glow  
In the midst of heartache, my brother, a leader, ready to go.  
The moon rises, shining so bright  
We discover the Avatar and join in his fight.  
Then came dawn, bringing the hope of a new day  
And an Earthbending Master who decided to stay.  
Now the sun's high in the sky, blazing so hot  
An exiled Prince, for so long we've fought.  
One of these is not like the rest  
And now it's time to put trust to the test.  
Aang says there's hope for all, you'll see  
But with all You've done, how can there be?  
Yet here we all are with the addition of You:  
An exiled Prince with a chance...  
What will You do?  
- _Exposition_


	3. Poem 2

I see You  
sitting by Yourself  
with that thoughtful expression:  
Plotting,  
Brooding,  
Planning.  
I see You  
sitting next to Aang  
with that friendly expression:  
Faking,  
Acting,  
Pretending.  
I see You  
sitting across from Me  
with that hopeful expression:  
Staring,  
Staring,  
Staring.  
I see You  
Fooling Everyone  
but certainly  
Not Me  
I See You  
- _Artifice_


	4. Poem 3

"Good morning, Katara." You say with a nod  
I crinkle My nose and turn away from the fraud.  
"Good afternoon, Katara." You say with tight eyes  
Perfectly pleasant, but when will the tensions rise?  
"Good night, Katara." You say with a slight bow  
I still sense a betrayal, and I'll figure out how.  
Every interaction is stiff and polite  
But all I can think about is how we used to fight.  
Aang makes forgiving and forgetting look easy as pie  
But when I see your face all I think is 'bad guy.'  
So every day at dawn:  
"Good morning, Katara." You'll say, stifling a yawn.  
And every midday:  
"Good afternoon, Katara." I'll hear you say.  
Then every evening, when the stars light up the sky:  
"Good night, Katara." You'll whisper with a sigh.  
Every interaction so stiff, so polite  
Causing me to do nothing but  
think, and think...and write.  
- _Hardboard_


	5. Poem 4

Shades of Grey in Life  
Right and Wrong and Black and White  
Shades of Hues in the Sky  
Dark and Sunny and Gloomy and Bright  
Shades of Colors in one’s Eyes  
Molten and Hard and Tired and Alert  
Shades of Stains in the Clothes that I wash  
Grass and Juice and Blood and Dirt  
Shades of Blue in the Water  
Briny and Fresh and Deep and Clear  
Shades of Red in the Fire  
Alight and Hot and Power and Fear  
Shades of Status in Fortune  
Struggling and Noble and Wealthy and Poor  
Shades of Goodness in You  
…  
…  
I can’t be sure  
- _Monochrome_


	6. Poem 5

I caught Myself  
staring at You today.  
For a moment  
all I saw:  
the right profile  
of a smiling young man.  
One Golden Eye  
shining with mirth  
as You laughed at a joke  
I’d never hear.  
Then You turned Your head  
to look in My direction.  
And suddenly I remembered  
who You are  
and who I am  
and why I should stop  
staring.  
- _Illusion_


	7. Poem 6

“I’m sorry.”  
About the loss of My mother  
and when Your elbow bumped Mine.  
“I’m sorry.”  
About the vicious attacks  
and when I tripped over the toe of Your shoe.  
“I’m sorry.”  
About the time spent hunting us down  
And when You ate the last Moonpeach.  
“I’m sorry.”  
About the anger and hate  
And when You let the campfire burn out on a cold night.  
“I’m sorry.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“Katara…I’m sorry.”  
- _Ostinato_


	8. Poem 7

When one has trusted  
only to get burned  
countless times  
it’s easy to put up walls.

When one has opened up  
only to be shut out  
countless times  
it’s easy to distance yourself.

When one has loved  
only to get hurt  
countless times  
it’s easy to guard your heart.

When one has suffered  
through loss and betrayal and pain  
countless times  
it’s hard to let someone in.  
- _Opaque_


	9. Poem 8

You are anger  
I am peace  
You are loud  
I am quiet  
You are hard  
I am soft  
You are masculine  
I am feminine  
You are harsh  
I am gentle  
You are pale  
I am dark  
You are brash  
I am soothing  
You are sunshine  
I am moonlight  
You are hot  
I am cold  
You are fire  
I am water  
Opposites in nearly  
Every way  
How  
Could  
This  
Ever  
Work?  
- _Dissonance_


	10. Poem 9

Looking at You, it’s easy to see  
The scar on Your face  
That makes it beastly  
Looking at You, it’s hard to miss  
The steam in the air  
When You’re mad, escaping with a hiss  
Knowing You, it’s clear to read  
Your stiffly closed body language  
As a warning to heed  
Knowing You, it’s difficult to ignore  
This version of Yourself  
So different from before  
- _Foreground_


	11. Poem 10

**E** verywhere we ran, You chased  
 **N** owhere was safe, all our steps could be traced  
 **E** very day the fear grew higher  
 **M** y dreams were haunted by fire  
 **Y** ou betrayed me in Ba Sing Se

**A** nd then you showed up claiming to be good  
 **L** ittle by little You showed that You could  
 **L** eading a mission to break My dad out of jail  
 **Y** ou fought on our side against Azula, You didn’t bail  
- _Framing_


	12. Poem 11

I was five years old, happily living with My mom, dad, and brother  
In the white tundra of the Southern Water Tribe  
My only worry was beating Sokka at tag

You were seven years old, happily living with Your mom, dad, and sister  
In the red palace in the Fire Nation  
Your only worry was catching up to Azula in Your training

I was eight years old, when My family was torn apart  
Because of a ruthless firebender  
She died trying to protect Me

You were ten years old, when Your family was torn apart  
Because of a ruthless firebender  
She killed someone, trying to protect You

I was eleven years old, learning to be happy again  
Taking care of My brother and My village  
The weight of the world resting on My shoulders

You were thirteen years old, learning not to disrupt Your father’s meetings  
Banished with an impossible task at hand  
The weight of the world resting on Your shoulders

I was fourteen years old, when I finally left home  
Joining the Avatar to help save the world   
Everything seemed to fall into place

You were sixteen years old, when You finally returned home  
Capturing the Avatar to regain Your Honor  
Everything seemed to fall apart  
- _Perspective_


	13. Poem 12

_“I stayed out here all night,”_  
in the cold, on a rock.  
 _“I stayed out here all night,”_  
waiting, so we could talk.  
 _“I stayed out here all night,”_  
alone, with no sleep.  
 _“I stayed out here all night,”_  
just to help Me.  
 _“I stayed out here all night,”_  
such a selfless thing to do  
especially for Me,  
when I’ve been so cold to You.  
You offered Me assistance,  
with nothing to gain.  
You really went the distance  
to help ease My pain.  
 _“I stayed out here all night,”_  
Thank You, Zuko, for just being there  
and not trying to tell Me what’s right.  
- _Gesture_


	14. Poem 13

You saw Me  
Acting irrationally  
with such power:  
Bending,  
Controlling,  
Torturing.  
You saw Me  
Acting ruthlessly  
with such malice:  
Yelling,  
Threatening,  
Attacking.  
You saw Me  
Acting emotionally:  
Crying,  
Crying,  
Crying.  
You saw Me  
past the act fooling everyone  
But certainly  
Not You  
You Saw Me.  
- _Grotesque_


	15. Poem 14

For so long  
Zuko was a name to fear  
For so long  
It was dreaded for You to appear  
For so long  
Your face was enemy number one  
For so long  
All we could do was run  
For so long  
Fire was death and destruction  
For so long  
Without proper introduction  
Then, when fighting was expected  
Now, how much we’ve connected   
- _Coda_


	16. Poem 15

You talked more  
about Your family today.  
Your father  
Ozai  
wasn’t always a bad guy,  
family vactions  
when everyone was still happy.  
Your sister  
Azula  
wasn’t always as approachable as a tarantula,  
teasing each other in the garden  
when You could sneak away from Your lessons.  
Your uncle  
Iroh  
was always the one to whom You would go,  
ready with wise, yet, confusing proverbs  
when You needed advice.  
Your mother  
Ursa  
was secretly Your favorite (and vice versa),  
warm hugs and picnics by the turtle-ducks  
when You were still happy.  
- _Rubato_


	17. Poem 16

**You are** ~~anger~~  
~~I am~~ **peace**  
**You are** ~~loud~~  
~~I am~~ **quiet**  
**You are** ~~hard~~  
~~I am~~ **soft**  
~~You are masculine~~  
~~I am feminine~~  
**You are** ~~harsh~~  
~~I am~~ **gentle**  
~~You are pale~~  
~~I am dark~~  
**You are** ~~brash~~  
~~I am~~ **soothing**  
**You are sunshine**  
~~I am moonlight~~  
**You are** ~~hot~~ **_warm_**  
~~I am cold~~  
~~You are fire~~  
**I** ~~am water~~  
~~Opposites in~~  
~~Nearly every way~~  
~~How~~  
~~Could~~  
~~This~~  
~~Ever~~  
~~Work?~~  
**_Was Wrong_**  
- _Caricature ___


	18. Poem 17

I wake up  
in bed  
next to him  
a giant grin on his face  
as he leaps up  
full of energy  
ready to leave  
on a trip to a temple  
while I watch the children  
in a small home  
full of love and laughter  
but sometimes missing him  
while he’s away

I wake up  
in bed  
next to You  
a smile in Your eyes  
as You pull Me closer  
for a few more minutes of rest  
before Your workday begins  
on the throne of Your nation  
while I sit at Your right hand  
in a large palace  
full of love and laughter  
but sometimes missing You  
when You’re right there  
- _Abstraction_


	19. Poem 18

At dawn  
You help Me cook breakfast  
with whispered conversations  
and crinkle-eyed smiles

In the morning  
I help Aang groom Appa  
with teasing jokes  
and belly-hurting laughter

At noon  
You spar with Me  
it’s only fair, after all  
I _am_ a Master

In the afternoon  
Aang helps Me with chores around camp  
It’s only fair, after all  
I am _not_ everyone’s mother

At twilight  
You sit next to Me  
in silent understanding  
putting My mind at ease

When night falls  
I train Aang in waterbending  
with an intense atmosphere  
running My mind in circles  
- _Glissando_


	20. Poem 19

I think of You  
and time slows down  
and My heart speeds up  
and everything is warm  
like the blush on My cheeks

I think of him  
and time speeds up  
and My heart slows down  
and everything is cool  
like the water we bend

I look at You  
and My palms get sweaty  
and My knees get weak  
and maybe I should get that checked out  
is that normal?

I look at him  
and My heart glows with pride  
and My soul fills with hope  
and maybe I shouldn’t rely on him so much  
is that normal?

I touch You  
and My brain shuts down  
and My senses are overloaded  
and My skin feels like it’s on fire  
but You never burn Me

I touch him  
and My brain stays in control  
and My senses calm down  
and My body relaxes from the comfort  
but something’s missing  
- _Juxtaposition_


	21. Poem 20

Something has changed  
in the air  
or the atmosphere

everything feels _heavier_  
when I look at You  
like I can’t breathe

everything feels _lighter_  
when You look at Me  
like I don’t need bending to fly

everything feels _easier_  
when I look at Aang  
like I finally know where the boundaries lay

everything feels _harder_  
when Aang looks at Me  
like he definitely doesn’t

Something has changed  
in the air  
or the atmosphere  
or maybe inside Me  
- _Tension_


	22. Poem 21

“ _The Boy in the Iceberg_ is a new production from acclaimed playwright, Pu On Tim,”  
Creepy as it was, we decided to attend on a whim.  
“Just sit next to Me, what’s the big deal?”  
Your arm was touching Mine, and I didn’t know what to feel.  
 _“My heart is so full of hope that it’s making me Tear-Bend!”_  
Only five minutes in, and I can’t wait for this to Tear-End.  
“How could You say that?!”  
My attempt at teasing fell flat.  
 _“Oh Jet, you’re so bad,”_  
Did seeing us portrayed like that make You mad?   
“What you’re seeing up there on that stage is the truth.”  
It’s hard to notice when the play is so uncouth.  
 _“I’ve had eyes for you since the day you first captured me,”_  
I was struck by just how close this was to reality.  
 _“I thought you were the Avatar’s girl!”_  
The idea of _belonging_ to anyone made Me want to hurl.  
“You didn’t really say that, did You?”  
You’re still beating Yourself up, despite everything You’ve been through.  
“Well when is the right time?!”  
I didn’t know trying to figure out My feelings was such a crime.  
 _“I’ll always love you…like a brother.”_  
Are familial feelings so wrong when he’s always treated Me like a mother?  
“That wasn’t a good play,”  
Maybe so, but it helped Me see things in a new way.  
- _Melodrama_


	23. Poem 22

Sometimes  
it takes seeing   
a ridiculous play  
to put things  
into perspective.  
You’re not who  
I thought You were  
I’m not who  
You thought I was  
And we’re not who  
I thought we’d be.  
It’s time to   
Let  
Go  
- _Erasing_


	24. Poem 23

Every time  
Your skin touches Mine  
a tingle shoots up My spine  
 _again, again, again,_  
I plead silently.  
Every time  
Our eyes meet  
I feel My resolve deplete  
 _again, again, again,_  
I plead silently.  
Every time  
I see Your smile  
all the struggles seem worthwhile  
 _again, again, again,_  
I plead silently.  
Every time  
You see Me  
when You really see Me  
I feel this was meant to be  
 _“Please never let this stop,”_  
I whisper to the moon.  
- _Der Blaue Reiter_


	25. Poem 24

I knew that_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _something felt  
different when I woke_ _ _ _ _ _ up this morning there  
was just a pressure in the air and in my soul I could feel  
the importance of today and I hope You could feel it  
too because today was just the beginning of  
something wonderful and beautiful  
today was the day that You  
finally kissed  
Me

- _Automatism_


	26. Poem 25

In the mornings, when We’re the first to wake  
After bending practice, together by the lake  
Fleeting moments alone, whispered words and tender touches  
Quickly scrawled notes, rips and creases and smudges  
In the forest, hiding behind the trees  
Sometimes hiding in plain sight, in the way We tease  
Across the room, talking with Our eyes  
All of the places, the ways We disguise  
- _Camouflage_


	27. Poem 26

You and I alone  
late at night, away from camp  
a good-night embrace

“What are you doing?!”  
Sokka popped out from nowhere  
and We flew apart

“Um…She was choking!”  
You lamely try to explain  
he doesn’t buy it

“No, really, I was!”  
I offer, playing along  
tacking on a cough

seemingly appeased  
he begins to walk away  
eyeing Us closely

that was way too close  
I think I hear Sokka sigh  
“ _I am not an oaf_.”

- _Improvisation_


	28. Poem 27

“I hate lying,”  
I tell You  
every time We’re alone  
“I know,”  
You tell Me  
every time I repeat it.  
So much pressure  
I can’t handle  
keeping Our stories straight.  
Too much fear  
You don’t know  
how they will react.  
“I hate lying,”  
- _Compression_


	29. Poem 28

_You and Zuko are a thing now, huh?_  
What? No? What? Why?  
 _You can just tell me, you know._  
I don’t know what you’re talking about.  
 _Come on! It’s obvious!_  
How can nothing be obvious?  
 _It’s really not a big deal…it’s actually kind of sweet._  
…Really? I mean! No! I’m not…We’re not…  
 _What’s the point in hiding it?_  
Who said anyone was hiding anything?  
 _I can feel you lying, Sugar Queen._  
Touché.  
- _Exposure_


End file.
